Staybolt assemblage



Oct. 19, 1937. J. R. FLANNERY 2,096,454

STAYBOLT ASSEMBLAGE Filed Aug. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 %N R W v m 1 mm m N QM w I g 47 4 W l fi ll mm N r Wm W R mm mm 4 m m M QN NM cm NN MN N I MN MN H A 1% N w n I! MN] NF m m .Nl WM QN E wN Filed Aug. 15, 1935 2 Sheets-$heet 2 MWU mam

h N mm Patented Oct. 19, 1937 STAYBOLT ASSENEBLAGE John Rogers Flannery, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Flannery Bolt Company, Bridgeville, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application August 15, 1935, Serial No. 36,315

4 Claims.

. This invention relates to staybolt assemblages, and more particularly to staybolts of the character provided with an internal longitudinally extending passage or tell-tale hole.

Staybolts have heretofore been constructed having a tell-tale hole therein, the arrangement being such thatone end of the staybolt is rigidlyattachedto one of the two boiler sheets, while the other end of the bolt has a universal connection with the other'boiler sheet. Such an arrangement permits of a considerable relative movement between the two boiler sheets arising by reason of the expansion or contraction of the sheets or from other causes. It is not, however, entirely flexible by reason of the fact that one end of the bolt is rigidly anchored toone of the sheets. The tell-tale hole is provided in the bolt either for the purpose of indicating when the boltis cracked or broken by enabling Water to the provision of a tell-tale opening or passage for the accommodation of a testing tool so that the inspection of .such'bolts is quite difficult.

According to the presentinvention there is provided a staybolt assembly in which the main portion of the staybolt has a universal mounting at each end and wherein the tell-tale opening or passage for the reception of a testing implement is accessible. from the outside of the boiler and extends throughout the greater portion of the length of the staybolt assembly, the assembly, however, being fluid-tight whereby it will not leak except in the event of the bolt becoming defective.

The invention may be'readily understood-by reference tothe accompanying drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of my invention and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a staybolt assembly embodying my invention; Figure 2 is a similar viewshowing a slightly modified arrangement; and

' Figure 3 is a similar view showing still another modification.

Referring first to Fig. 1 oi the li awings, 2

designates one of the two boiler sheets to be connected by the staybolt, and 3 designates the other boiler sheet. Thesheet 2 is that sheet which forms the walls of the fire box and is termed the fire sheet. and the other sheet 3 is commonly designated the wrapper sheet. The space between the two sheets, of course, is the boiler space within which is water or steam. The staybolt assembly comprises a main bolt member 4 and a connecting member 5. The main bolt member 4 is provided on one end with a substantially spherical head 6. In the particular construction shown in Fig. 1 the head 6 is shown as having a seat in a sleeve 1 which is welded or otherwise secured to the sheet 3, as indicated at 8. The head Btherefore cooperates with the sleeve 1 as a coupling at the respective end of the main bolt member 4 for providing a universal connection with the wrapper sheet 3'. The end of the sleeve is closed against the escape of fluids by a screw cap '9. This particular seating arrangement is a conventional arrangement for flexible staybolts. The spherical head 6 has a universal movement in the sleeve member 1, being free to rock in any direction and being free to liftaway from the seat if conditions cause such movement. The opposite end of the bolt is shown as being provided with a hemispherical head portion IO and as having a forwardly extending projection H thereon extending beyond the head, this portion H being threaded as shown. The bolt is provided with a tell-tale hole I2 which extends throughout the major portion of the length of the bolt, being open atone end and preferably being closed at the end B. The reason for the closure in the head 6 is to prevent fluid which may leak around the head 6 into the space within the sleeve 1 from escaping back through the tell-tale opening. The connector member 5 in the particular embodiment shown is screwed into the boiler plate 2 and has a head portion 13 which is riveted over. The inner portion M of the member 5 is of enlarged diameter and is externally threaded. Fitted over this portion [4 is a sleeve member IS, the members l4 and I5 together forming a substantially hollow spherical cham ber' IS in which the head portion In of the bolt is received, this chamber also receiving the threaded projection II. The connector member thus provides a universal seating for the head portion In of the bolt. There is a longitudinally extending passageway I! in the member 5 which registers with the passage I2 in the main bolt member 4, forming in effect a continuation of the passage l2 to the exterior of the bolt. Inasmuch as fluid may leak past the grounded head In, a seal is provided between the bolt member 4 and the connector member 5 toprevent the fluids of the boiler from escaping through the, passage I'L' Inthe arrangement shown in Fig. 1

this seal comprises 'a corrugated flexible diaphragm or gasket I8 having its periphery clamped between the endof the portion l4 and an intera nal shoulder i9 inside the member I5. This dia phragm has a central opening through which the portion ll of the bolt passes, and a nut 20 on the portion ll clamps the edges of this central opening against a small shoulder 2l on the head portion in of the bolt;

An effective seal is thus provided against the escape of fluids in the connection between the member 4 and the member 5'. In the embodi-J ment shown, the fluid can not escape through the opposite end of the passage i2 because of the fact that this passage terminates within the ;-head 6 and therefore any fluid which accumulates in the sleeve 1 around the head dcannot' escape through thepassage l4.

;In order to prevent the flanged couplingmeme ber l5 from loosening under vibration or motion of the bolt; the parts 14; and I5 may bewelded after the assembly has been made, as indicated at 22; "The nut 20 may also be welded at 23 to the portion H for the same purpose. parts 4 and 5 with the sealing means provide, in effect, a single articulated unit having a continuous tell-tale hole extending from one end of the unit throughout the greater portion sof the length of the unit. As stated above the hole. itself-maybe used to indicate a leakage in the boiler inasmuch as a break in the bolt or a leak in the gasket will permit fluid to escape into the passage 12 and its presence can be detected at the open end of the hole. Likewise, the hole can accommodate various electrical testing devices adapted for insertioniin a hole to determine either the condition of the boltv or'the condition of the hole. a The construction shown in Fig. v2 merely shows another type of assembly embodying, my invention. In this figure the main part of thejlbolt, designated. 25, is shown as having'theheadlfi screwedthereon. The tell-tale hole 21 extends throughout the length of the bolt and is closed at one end by a plug 23.

. It will be notedthat in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the opening in the wrapper'sheet is of suflicient diametertto enable the bolt assembly to be inserted through the wrapper sheet of "the boiler. In the arrangement shown in Fig.2 this hole 29 is relatively smaller and the assemblyis inserted from the firesheet side of the boiler. The sleeve which provides a seat forthe head 25 is designated 30 and it is closed by a cap 31.- At

I the opposite end of the bolt the connector member 32 has a relatively large head portion 33 adapted to span the hole '34 in the fire sheetithe head of this connector overhanging the outer edge of the hole. The bolt member 25 isprovided with a rounded or hemi-spherical headportion 35 which'is received in a cavity" 35 tamed within a flangednut 31 and the end portion 38 of-the connecting member 32, the flange on the nut 31 being rounded to the contour of the head 35. The gasket or sealing diaphragm designated 39 is cla'mpedin the manner above described in,

connection. with Fig.1 and is shown as being laminated. r I

The

I, The construction shown in Fig. 3 is substan 7 tially similar to that previously described. There is a main bolt member 40 and a connector member 4|. The main bolt 40 in this case is shown as having a spherical head 42. which seats directly in a suitably rounded cavity in the wrapper sheet 43. There is a cap 44 welded directly to the wrapper sheet closing this end of the bolt to seal the latter against the escape of fluids. .The oppoj e site end of'the' bolt member is provided with a substantially spherical head .45.: 'The'ooupling member 4| has a head portion 46 which covers the opening 41 in the fire sheet, this opening being of sufficient diameter to permit the insertion of the assembly from the The sheet end of theboiler. [TheconrictOr'memberAi has an inner end-portion 48 which is exteriorly threaded to receive a coupling nut 49. Theinn'er surfaces oi the portion 48 andthe nut 49 proviolea substantially spherical cavity conforming to thecontour of the head 45, thereby providing a universal bearing for the headportion 45- of the bolt '40. The bolt 40 is, provided with a tell-tale hole 50. The. connecting member 4| is providedwith' a central passage 5! which has a restricted neck .52 and an outwardly flared portion 53 which is internally threaded.v vThe :flexible diaphragm or Q gasket in this case is shown as comprising a corrugated tubular 'member' 54 formed of a flexible metal. The outer end of this, tubeis flared out;

war'dly and clamped to the member 4! by a nut 55 screwed into thesocket 53, the nut 55 having a central opening 56.

. The opposite-end of the tubular diaphragm 54 is'flared outwardly and, is clamped in place by means of {a nut 51 screwed into an internal threaded socket 58 in the'head 45 of the 'bolt. 7

The modifications shown in Figs.'2 and 3, like the construction shown insFig; '1, provide in effect.

an articulated bolt assembly comprising the main portion of the boltand the connector member,

throughout the greater portion of itslength and tion or for. the reception cating'imp-lement.

It will benotedin all. of the various arrange-i opengatone side. of the boiler eitherfor inspec-i 5 of a testing or indi- 3 ments herein specifically described that the flexible: gasket or diaphragm, which" is preferably made in each'icase of 1a flexiblemetal, such for j instance, as phosphor bronze, connects to the end of the belt at a point close 'to'the center of rota... tion ofv the head in its seat. The advantage of this is that the diaphragm is subjected to'a minimum amount of flexing on a relative movement 1 the escape of fluid from the hole. However, va

rious devices have beenproposed for insertion in the tell-tale hole to'function in connection with electric indicating devices to show when the bolt 7 is ruptured or broken. The term tell-tale hole asherein used is intended to indicate this passage'when it is left open accordance-with: the general commercial practice; or some detecting implement is inserted therein.

- ,While I have shown and described certain spe- V Qlfic embodiments of my invention it will "be the assemblyhaving a tell-tale hole extending understood that this is merely by way of illustration. There are various commercially known ways of providing a seat between the staybolt and the wrapper sheet, and the present invention contemplates that the universal mounting in the wrapper sheet shall include such various types of mountings. It will also be understood that the invention is applicable to that type of staybolt in which provision is made for inspecting the tell-tale opening from the wrapper sheet end of the boltrather than from the fire sheet end, such arrangements being well-known in the art and forming no part of the present invention.

Various other changes. and modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts within the contemplationof my invention and under the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with spaced plates, of a staybolt unit flexibly connecting the plates, comprising two members swivelly connected between the plates, one of said members having a swivel connection with one of said plates, the other member being connected with the other plate,

sheet, and a connector member jointed to the other end of said main bolt member by a universal coupling, there being a passageway through said connector member and a tell tale hole in the main bolt member in communication with said passageway and extending to adjacent the first mentioned sheet and closed at said end of the bolt member, said connector member being provided with means for connecting the bolt to a boiler sheet spaced from the first mentioned sheet, said last mentioned universal coupling being disposed between said boiler sheets and comprising a head portion on the end of one of said members, a sleeve threaded on the adjacent end of the other member and cooperating therewith to provide a chamber receiving said head portion and a universal seating therefor, and a flexible seal between said members for excluding boiler fluid from said passageway.

3. The combination with spaced plates, of a staybolt member connected to one of said plates and projecting into the boiler space, a main bolt member jointed to the inner end of the first mentioned member by a universal coupling comprising a head portion on the end of the main bolt member and a sleeve threaded on the adjacent end of the first mentioned member providing a universal seating for said head, said main bolt member having a coupling at its other end for providing a universal connection with the other boiler plate, and a flexible seal between said members at the joint therebetween, there being a passageway through the first mentioned member and a tell tale hole in the main bolt member in communication with said passageway and extending to the second mentioned coupling and closed at said end of the bolt member.

4. A flexible staybolt assembly comprising an articulated staybolt unit, and a coupling at one end of the unit for providing a universal connection with one of two spaced plates, said unit including a main bolt member having said coupling at one end, there being a tell tale hole in said member opening through the other end thereof and extending to said coupling and closed at said end of the member, a connector member jointed to said main bolt member by a coupling comprising a head portion on the main bolt member, a recessed portion on the connector member and a sleeve threaded thereon and cooperating therewith to provide a chamber receiving said head portion and a universal seating therefor, there being a passageway through said connector member in communication with said tell tale hole, and a flexible seal at said joint between said members for excluding the boiler fluid from said passageway, said connector member being provided with means for connecting the unit to the other plate.

JOHN ROGERS FLANNERY. 

